In various branches of the manufacturing industry, during the several stages of production processes, there is a need to handle parts and assemblies until the formation of the final product. The transportation and handling of such parts (components) in each stage depends on the type of process, size of the components, as well as their physical characteristics, such as dimensions, geometry, weight, and fragility.
During the manufacture of relatively large-sized aircraft structural components, for example, it is necessary to periodically position the component at various stages of the fabrication process to allow for robotically operated tools to act on the component. For example, it may be necessary to position an airfoil structure in operative proximity to a robotically controlled drill to allow for the automated drilling of holes to thereby permit subsequent riveting. It is thus essential that the component be positioned accurately and immovably relative to the robotically operated tool so that the robotic controllers can issue repeatable commands necessary for the tasks to be reliably performed based on the particular component being fabricated.
Assemblies and methods for the handling, transporting and/or positioning aircraft component parts with the use of jig assemblies is known. In this regard, US Patent Application Publication 2014/0328655 (the entire content of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein) discloses a jig assembly for supporting an aircraft component part. The jig includes an elongate spar assembly, a plurality of rib assemblies attached to the spar, and a plurality of tensionable strap assemblies operatively associated with the rib assemblies for capturing and holding the component part against the rib assemblies. The strap assemblies may include a strap ratchet mechanism and a strap, so that operation of the strap ratchet mechanism allows strap slack to be removed thereby tensioning the strap. The jig assembly may be positioned and oriented by suspension cables and a hoist mechanism to allow it to be removably connected to a moveable transport dolly.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,661,684 (the entire content of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein) discloses a single piece pulsed flow wing assembly method to provide for the horizontal manufacture of aircraft wings using synchronized automated vehicles guided in a predetermined manner to move and locate wing structures in a plurality of assembly positions.
While the proposals in the art are satisfactory for their intended purposes, further improvements are desired. For example, it would be especially desirable if a jig could be provided which is capable of universally positioning a variety of different structural components relative to a robotically operated tool with minimal set-up time and/or required layout area. It is towards fulfilling such needs that the embodiments described herein are directed.